Private label credit cards are credit cards that have been branded with a specific company name. However, even though the name of a private business is on the front of the card, a card-issuing financial institution such as a bank actually issues and processes private label cards. Further, although they look like store-issued credit cards, private label credit cards have account numbers similar to major credit cards that include a unique sequence that identifies the credit card for a particular card association processing system, such as the MASTERCARD® card association card processing system.
Currently, certain industries are highly distributed in what can be described as a dealer-based type of environment, such as the health care industry in which there are many independent providers or the auto after-market industry in which there are numerous independently owned repair shops. In such an environment, in order for a card-issuing financial institution, such as a bank, to offer private label lending products to such providers, it is necessary for the financial institution to approach each one of those providers individually in order to sign each one up through a merchant services agreement.
In the current environment, it is also necessary for the financial institution to arrange for a merchant acquirer or acquiring bank and processors to process transactions for each one of such providers. In addition, it is necessary for the card-issuing financial institution to perform extensive system development work to enable those independent entities to produce and use private label lending products for their customer. Thus, it is necessary for the card issuer to have an external sales force that goes out to each of these independent providers and signs them up and to provide technology in their offices to enable them to acquire lending relationships and transact on those relationships.